Conveyer and elevator.



L. O'TOOLE. QOONVEYEB. AND ELEVATOR,

AP-PLIUATIfJ H I'ILIBD OUT. 9., 190B. l6,

3 BHEETBBHEET 1.

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1? L. OTOOLE GONVEYEB vAND ELEVATOR. APPLICATION mum 0011.9, 1906.

Patented Aug. 16,1910.

3 BEEETB-BHEB'I' 2.

Q/Wlmoouo p P. 1.. 01 0013.; OOHVEYEB AND ELEVATOR. APPLIOATIOI TILED OUT. 9, 180B- Patented m 16,1910.

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PATRICK L. OTOOLE, OF EDWARDSVILLE, ILLINOIS.

CONVEYER AND ELEVATOR.

[b all r item, it may concern:

Be it hm-wn that I, PATRICK L. OToonE, a'citizen of the United States, residing at Edwardsville, in the county of Madison and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Conveyers and Elevators, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to elevators and conveyers for elevating and conveying vari ous kinds of articles or materials.

The object of the invention is to provide a machine of this characterwhich is simple of construction, durable and eflicient in use, and adapted to convey or elevate a maximum number of articles or amount of material in a given eriod of time.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of a conveyer embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is avertical cross section of the same. .Fig. 3 is an end elevation. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side is a detail view showing the manner in which the cross rods of the conveyer are secured to the cables thereof.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the delivery portion of a conveyer adapted for deliver-in brick to kilns and other special uses. Fig. is a. pers ective view of one of the carrier lates. ig. 8 is a similar view'of another orm of the same. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a section of a conveyer belt adapted for conveying and elevating bags, boxes and the like. Fig. 10 is a detail of features shown in Fig. 9. Figs. 11 and 12 are side elevational and sectional views of the coupling means for connecting the ends of the conve er cables. Fig. 13 is a fragmentary. side "e evation of the frame of conveyer partially shown in.

Figs. 9 and 13 for limiting the pivotal movementof a conveyer section.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the frame of the conveyer or elevator, which comprises parallel sides 2 and-3,-supported at the receiving end of the frame or at both the receiving and delivery ends upon brackets or standards 4. Each frame side is preferably formed of elements of angle iron or steel and, as shown, comprises upper and Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed October 9, 1908. Serial No.

of grooved wheels or Fig. 9. Fig. 14. is a detail 1 view of the flexible connection; shown in.

I to and to eac Patented Aug. 16, 1910.

lower angle rails 5 and 6 connected at suitable intervals by standards or uprights 7 and inclined braces or struts 8. Intermediate of the ends of the frame the sides 2 and 3 are supported upon inverted U-shaped brackets 9 extending transversely across the same and upon'which the lower rails 6 are laid and secured, the downturned ends of the brackets being provided with supporting feet 10 throu h which suitable fastenings may be passe to secure the same to the floor or su portin foundation. The brackets 4 are a so per orated for the passage of suitable fastenmgs, and each set of brackets at the receiving and delivery ends is formed or provided with bearings for a shaft 11. The shaft 11 at the receiving end only is shown, and on this shaft is mounted a air pulleys 12 arrange in spaced relation, as shown. The shaft is extended at one end and also carries fast and loose pulley): 13 and 14 for the reception of a driving lt from any suitable source of power. Ordinary spur or other caring 'may, however, be employedin'lieu o a belt pulley drive.

Thearrangement of the pulleys 12 upon the shafts at the opposite ends of the conveyer frame may be identical when the apparatus is a stationary one and arranged for conveying materials horizontally on the surface, but the mode of mounting the pulleys at the delivery end may vary as circumstances may require and accordmg to ll)he specific use to whichthe apparatus is to e ut.

n endless conveyer is arranged to travel upon the frame and around the. rooved pulleys 12 at the opposite ends therco This conveyer comprises a pair of spaced cables .15. connected at intervals for movement in unison b transverse rods 16. The rods 16 are terminally threaded and secured to the sectional clips or coupings 17, provide with semicircular portions 18 to gri the cable and secured thereother by rivets or suitable fastenings 19, the arms of said clips bein apertured for the 'assage of the threade ends of the rods, w iiich are secured thereto by inner and outer clamping nuts 20.

In practice, the ends of each cable are preferably connected by a type of coupling such as shown in Figs. 11 and 12. This coupling consists of male and female members 21 and 22, the former provided with a respective cables lay socket 23 opening through one side and'the end thereof, the end opening being contracted, as at 24, and the latter having a head 25 to fit within said socket and a contractedneck 26 to fit within said contracted opening 24, thus allowing. the coupling membersto be connected and disconnected by a relative lateral or sidewise movement while interlocking them against disconnec tion under longitudinal strain, so that the ends of the cable while under normal tension will be held securely in engagement with each' other. The outer end of each con ling member is formed with a socket 27 for the reception of the end of the cable, and is provided in said socket with a longit-udinal partition 28 to separate and spread the strands of the cable into engagement with the. side walls of the socket. This construction allows the'confined strands of the cable to be secured in the socket by a fastening rivet 29 and to also be brazed or soldered therein or welded to the coupling member to forma strong and practically homogeneous structure. The ends of the cable are thus strongly and durably secured by the couplings and connected by the latter in such manner as to permit of the ready assemblage and disassemblage of the parts of the belt in erecting, taking down and repairing the conveyer, and also permits the cables to be lengthened by the addition of cable sections having similar couplings, so

Y that the apparatus may be made as long or 32 and side flanges 33', giving it the .form of a pan to retain the material therein. Where crackers or other materials of like character are to be transported and elevated, as in the use of the apparatus for baking and transporting crackers, cakes and the like, the

rear flange 32 alone maybe employed to prevent displacement of the articles while being elevated by the conveyer. The pans have a length greater than the distance between the rods 16, so-thatthey will have an overlapping arrangement, the rear edge of each pan or plate lappin over upon the pivoted edge of the succeefing pan or plate, thus forming a practically continuous supporting sur ace along the upper run or working stretch of the conveyer. The rear end of each supporting plate 'is coupled to the pivoted end of the succeeding supporting plate by a chain, spring or other suitable exible connection 34, which serves to supportand revent the plate from dropping downwar when reversed or forming a part of the lower run or return stretch of the conveyer.

In order to properly sup ort and guide the conveyer belt, guide u leys or rollers 35 are arranged at interva s along the u per side rails of the frame sides 2 and 3 an are journaled upon suitable spindles or stub shafts. The upper stretches of the cables run u on these pulleys and are thus supporte to prevent deflection of the working stretch of the belt. Where the conveyer is provided at any point with a turn or curve asshown in Fig. 1, horizontally instead 0 vertically arranged guide pulleys 36 and 37 are arranged at the opposite sides of the curved portions, one set of pulleys acting against the inner side of one of the cables and the other set against the outer side of the opposite cable to guide said cables around the curve and prevent deflection of said cables, as well as to relieve the same of undue strain.' The bearin s of the set of pulleys 37 may be provide with ad'ustin screws 38 b which they may be a juste to bear with greater or less force against the adjacent cable. Where the curve is a reverse one from that shown and the adjustablepulleys are arranged along the short radius of the curve, the pulleys are arranged to bear against the outer surface of the adjacent cable as shown. When the curve is 1n the reverse direction the sets of pulleys may be reversed in arrangement, as will be readily understood. As the supporting plates or pans pass around the gui e pulleys 12 at the delivery end, the material carried thereon is dumped therefrom by gravity and the plates dropped down slight-1y to the degree permitted by the flexible supporting connections 34;.

The frame sides 2 and 3 may be connected at'int ervals by transverse braces 39 and the sides of the individual brackets 9 ma be similarly connected by braces 40, whicr latter may carry rollers 41 to permit the carrier plates on the return stretch of the belt to run easily over the same, as will be seen by reference to Fig. 4.

It will be understood that the delivery portion of the apparatus may incline upwardly ordownwardly to elevate or lower the goods or'material being transported to I V of-the ables long or short frames to be readily and conveniently constructed, and the mode of -connection of the cables also enables the len th of the belt to be regulated accordingly. The frame structure is further such as to secure maximum strength and rigldity with economy, and the construction and arrangement of the carrier plates or pans adapts the conveyer for transporting a;- large amount of articles of materials from one point to another within a given period of time. 1

' Iii Fi 6 is shown a modified construction eliver section or end of the conveyer frame w ich is designed to be coupled in a pivotal manner to the main portion of the frame and to extend wholly within a brick kiln forthe pur ose of conveying green bricks thereto to. e stacked therein and dried or burned. In practice, this mod1- fied form of delivery section is connected with the curved portion of the main frame, which terminates near the door of the kiln, thus arranging the conveyer for the proper delivery of the bricks. In the form shown thesaid delivery section com rises spaced side frames, each of which is ormedof upper and lower bars or rails 42 and 43 con- I lower rai nected by pivoted braces or links 44 between their ends and at their rear ends by a V- bracket 45, while, for use in connection with this ty e of delivery section, the terminal ends 0 the bars or rails of the main frame sections are connected by a V-bracket. 46. The bars 42 and 43 arepivotally connected with the arms of the bracket 45, as at 45, to permit the delivery frame section-to fold in the manner hereinafter described, and each side of the delivcry'frame section is connected with the adjacent side of the mainframe by a substantially diamond-shaped coupling 47, forming an intermediate articulating sec tion whose front and rear points are coupled to the vertex portions of the brackets 45 and 46 by pivot bolts 48. Hanger bars 49 and 50 are secured by screws or bolts-51 to the front and rear ends of the u per rail 42 at each side and are respective y connected by bolts 52 and 53 with short bracket plates 54 and 55 fastened by bolts or screws 56 to the corres onding portions of the adjacent l 43, whereby the sides of the frame are held from pivotal movement and folding or collapsin in use. On the pivot bolt 52, which like t e pivot bolt 53 preferably extends across the frame and connects the hangers and bracket plates at the opposite sides, may be mounted the grooved guide pulleys 57 around which the cables of the endless carrier pass at the delivery terminal. To the upper ends of the respective hangers are connected hoisting ropes or ca bles 58 by which the delivery sections may be supported from above. As the bricks conveyed into the kiln by the carrier are deposited, they are stacked beneath and adj acent to the delivery section of the conveyer and as the height of the stack increases such section of the conveyer'may he elevated correspondingly by manipulation of the cables 58, said section swinging on its pivotal connections 48. After ,use the delivery section may be disconnectedjfrom the main section and withdrawn through the top of the kiln, 1f the kiln is of the updraft type, or may be folded in compact form for removal if the kiln is of the downdraft type. To collapse the delivery frame sectionthe bolts 52 and 53 are removed, as are also the securing screws 51, whereupon the sides of the de l very frame section will fold on their coupling links, as will be readily understood. The brackets 54 may be provided with forked extensions 59 to adapt the free end of the delivery section to be su ported in an inclined position u on the sicl e or end of a railway car, suitab e ortion of a vessel or like vehicle for use in loading the same.

In Figs. 9 and 10 I have shown a construction of pivoted goods supporting mem bers for the endless conveyer which are employed in place. of the plates or leaves in transporting boxes, barrels, poles and other long, heavy and bulky articles. Each of these members comprises a pair of parallel longitudinal metallic strips 60 connected by transverse braces 61 and bent at their forward ends to form hinging beads or eyes 62 to engage one of the cross rods of the carrier. Each supporting member is also of greater length than the distance between the rod to which it is pivoted and the fol-- lowing rod so that the rear ends of the strips 60 thereof will overlap and rest upon the forward ends of the strips of the supportlng member in rear thereof, by which said supporting members are sustained and braced while on the working run of the carrier. As each supporting member passes beyond the deliver end of the frame, it swings forward to (i mp the load. To limit this forward swinging movement and to prevent the supporting member from drop ping downward when reversed and arranged on-the return stretch of the carrier the rear ends of the strips 60 are provided with inwardl extending arms 63 coupled by a spring, 0 ain or like flexible connection 64 to the pivot rod 16 of the supporting member in rear thereof.

ounted upon the rear ends of the strips .60 aregoods supportin arms 65, each of.

which has its lower ;en rojecting downwardly through a longitudinal slot 66 in the strip and provided with a bracing extension 67 which, is adapted to bear against the underside of the strip to su port the arm when the latter is in an uprig t or operative position. Angular bracket plates 68 are secured to each strip on opposite sides of the I arm and carry a in or bolt 69 on which notches 70 of the bracket each supporting member passes from the. working to the return stretch of the chain, 1 the arms drop by gravity from an upright supporting position down upon the stu s 60 and the pawls drop by gravity into t e v I lates and support the arms in folded position while they remain a part ofthe return stretch.

In practice, suitable trip devices are ar-- ranged on or adjacent to the brackets' at the receiving ends of the conveyer frame, so

that as the sup ortin members pass upwardly around t e pu eys 12 the crank 73 will be engaged by said tri device and the pawls retracted to enable t e arms as they move upward to pass to a vertical supportin osition by gravity.

aving thus full described the invention, what is claime as new is 1. A conveyer comprising a frame embodying side sections, each section comprising upper and lower longitudinal rails and bracing connections between said rails, inverted U-shaped brackets arran ed at intervals below the side sections an su porting the lower rails, guide pulleys at t e front and rear ends of the conveyer frame, a carrier having endless cables running over said pulleys, intermediate supporting pulleys on the upper rails for the working portions of I the cables, pivoted supporting members. carried by the cables, rods carried b the brackets, and supporting rollers on sai rods over which the supporting members on the return stretch of the carr er are adapted to pass.

has a segmental upper edge said pulleys and provided with transverse braces connecting the u per portions of said side portions of the ame, mverted U-shaped brackets arran ed beneath sald frame portionsand on whic the lower rails thereof are carried, guide ulle s at the receivi'ng and delivery en s o the frame, an endless conveyer passing around ivoted goods supporting members having a imited pivotal motion, and means supported by the brackets to assist in supporting the goods sup orting members on the return stretch of t e conveyer.

3. A conveyer comprising a frame having a main section, a de ivery section pivotally connected with the main section and embodying folding side ortions, hangers detachablly connected with the side portions and ho ding them in normal position, guide pulleys upon the amain and delivery sec tions, and an endless flexible conveyer passing around said pulleys and provided with goods supporting members.

4. A conveyer embodying an endless carrier provided with a series of pivoted goods supporting sections each having slots, supporting arms pivotally mounted on each section above the slots, means for automatically depressing the arms locking mechanism for holding the arms 1n depressed position, stops on the arms projecting downward through the slots to engage the underside of the goods' supporting section when the arms are upright, and automatic means for releasing" said locking mechanism and turning the arms to an upright position.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PATRICK L. OTOOLE. 

